North Africa and the Mediterranean energy bridge

The Mediterranean has long connected Africa and Europe through trade, migration and cultural exchange. Now, a new relationship is taking shape beneath its waters: one built around electricity.

Across North Africa, abundant sunshine, powerful coastal winds and growing investment in renewable energy are creating opportunities that extend far beyond national borders.

For Europe, the attraction is clear. As the continent seeks cleaner energy and greater supply security, North Africa offers geographical proximity and considerable renewable energy potential.

For African countries, the opportunity is equally significant. But it raises a fundamental question: Will Africa become a genuine partner in the global energy transition, or simply another supplier of resources to wealthier markets?

An emerging energy corridor

Several ambitious projects are beginning to demonstrate what cross-continental electricity cooperation could look like.

Morocco already exchanges electricity with Spain through submarine connections across the Strait of Gibraltar. Plans for a third interconnection could further strengthen electricity trade between the two countries.

Meanwhile, Tunisia and Italy are developing ELMED, a 600-megawatt electricity interconnector designed to link their national grids beneath the Mediterranean. The project is expected to support renewable energy integration and strengthen electricity supply security on both shores.

Further east, the proposed GREGY interconnector would connect Egypt directly to Greece through a submarine cable capable of transferring up to 3,000 megawatts of electricity.

Although still under development, the project illustrates Europe’s growing interest in accessing renewable electricity produced in North Africa.

Together, these initiatives suggest something larger than isolated infrastructure projects: the gradual emergence of an interconnected Euro-African electricity market.

The economics of energy independence

The economic possibilities are substantial.

Renewable energy exports could generate investment, create skilled employment and support new industries across North Africa.

Electricity interconnections could also improve grid stability and allow neighbouring countries to exchange power when supply or demand fluctuates.

Yet building transmission cables is only part of the challenge.

Solar farms, wind installations and transmission infrastructure require considerable capital. Their success depends on stable regulation, reliable electricity networks and commercially viable agreements.

More importantly, expanding electricity exports should not come at the expense of domestic energy needs.

An energy transition that powers European industries while leaving African businesses struggling with electricity costs would represent a missed development opportunity.

North African governments must therefore negotiate partnerships that support local manufacturing, technological capabilities and affordable domestic electricity alongside export revenues.

More than an energy partnership

The emerging Mediterranean energy corridor also carries geopolitical implications.

For Europe, closer electricity cooperation with North Africa offers an opportunity to diversify energy relationships.

For African countries, it creates new diplomatic and economic leverage.

However, unequal access to financing, technology and markets could reproduce familiar dependencies.

The challenge is to establish agreements in which African countries are not merely electricity producers but active participants in infrastructure ownership, pricing decisions and long-term industrial development.

The Mediterranean energy bridge could become one of the defining infrastructure developments of the coming decades.

But its success should not be measured only in megawatts transmitted or billions invested.

It should also be measured by the industries created, the jobs supported and the economic opportunities retained within Africa.

The real promise of this energy bridge is not simply connecting two continents. It is ensuring that both sides benefit from the power flowing between them.

Rapid-Response Africa | Independent perspectives on Africa’s energy future, economic transformation and geopolitical developments.

Africa Desk · The Rapid Response Africa
Africa. In context.